"A life of pleasure makes even the strongest mind frivolous at last." — Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Category: Free patterns

Have you ever sewn something and thought, ugh, kind of a disaster, I’ll probably never wear that? Well yes, of course you have, you’re a sewist, and that’s part of the deal, right? But have you ever then changed your mind and realized it’s not a disaster at all and it’s actually not only wearable but even pretty awesome? That’s what happened with me and … Continue reading Danish Cranes, or How I Learned “How to do Fashion”

I like to (try to) look stylish. And I like to be comfortable. The perfect solution: a cute blouse — but really a t-shirt — made with soft rayon knit. Win-win! This is BurdaStyle’s Knotted Blouse from the August 2016 issue, pattern #125. I sewed it with a lightweight rayon jersey in this jeweltone teal-blue that is one of my very favourite colours. I find … Continue reading Knotted Blouse & Slouchy Tee, and Living Dangerously in White Pants

An alternate title for this post could be: A Demonstration of How Much My Camera Sucks at Capturing the Colour Coral. That hot pink shirt that’s currently burning a hole in your retinas? It’s actually coral. And those large-scale floral pants that are also currently burning a hole in your retinas? Well, I have no excuse for those. That’s exactly how they look. I mean, … Continue reading Haute Skinny Pants and Plantain Tee

There’s no doubt we could use more reasons to smile lately. It’s been a while since I’ve knitted something that made me excited to plan, happy to knit, and gleeful to wear. But this neck warmer was just the ticket! This is the I’ll Pack a Cowl for Rhinebeck by Deb Jacullo. Pssst — it’s FREE! Another reason to smile. I made a couple of modifications to … Continue reading I Was Smiling the Whole Time

I do not know quite how summer came and went so fast! Earlier, as summer appeared to stretch out endlessly before me, I had plans to tackle so much work ahead of time. Two brand new courses to teach this year? No problem — they will be done in their entirety by early August! Adding new technologies to existing courses? I’ll learn everything I need … Continue reading Boxy Tee: Free Pattern But Worth a Purse of Roman Coins

World’s fastest sew: the iCandy T-shirt (a free pattern — link below). Fun design details: the shoulder seams sit forward on the front of the Tee, and the back is a couple of inches longer than the front. This t-shirt was lucky enough to have its debut in Rome! (And its model is lucky enough to currently be on vacation in Italy!) Ironically, the fabric … Continue reading Ranta in Roma: iCandy T-shirt

Until I find a knitting pattern that specifically calls for a bunch of those 30-percents-of-a-skein of Malabrigo or Madelinetosh that are always leftover from knitting hats, this free scarf pattern will remain my go-to pattern for trying to keep a lid on my ever-expanding giant bag of leftover yarn. The Snippet Scarf by Becky Herrick is not only available for free, it’s also a pretty … Continue reading Stashbusting Knitting Project: Snippet Scarf